diff --git a/src/fileops.c b/src/fileops.c
index 763537a46..6abab8836 100644
--- a/src/fileops.c
+++ b/src/fileops.c
@@ -418,14 +418,14 @@ int git_futils_find_global_file(git_buf *path, const char *filename)
 			root.path[0] == L'%') /* i.e. no expansion happened */
 		{
 			giterr_set(GITERR_OS, "Cannot locate the user's profile directory");
-			return -1;
+			return GIT_ENOTFOUND;
 		}
 	} else {
 		if (win32_expand_path(&root, L"%USERPROFILE%\\") < 0 ||
 			root.path[0] == L'%') /* i.e. no expansion happened */
 		{
 			giterr_set(GITERR_OS, "Cannot locate the user's profile directory");
-			return -1;
+			return GIT_ENOTFOUND;
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -440,7 +440,7 @@ int git_futils_find_global_file(git_buf *path, const char *filename)
 	if (home == NULL) {
 		giterr_set(GITERR_OS, "Global file lookup failed. "
 			"Cannot locate the user's home directory");
-		return -1;
+		return GIT_ENOTFOUND;
 	}
 
 	if (git_buf_joinpath(path, home, filename) < 0)
diff --git a/tests-clar/core/env.c b/tests-clar/core/env.c
index a2a65be72..0e0ddf3b6 100644
--- a/tests-clar/core/env.c
+++ b/tests-clar/core/env.c
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ void test_core_env__1(void)
 {
 	git_buf path = GIT_BUF_INIT;
 
-	cl_assert(git_futils_find_global_file(&path, "nonexistentfile") == GIT_ENOTFOUND);
+	cl_must_fail(git_futils_find_global_file(&path, "nonexistentfile"));
 
 #ifdef GIT_WIN32
 	cl_git_pass(cl_setenv("USERPROFILE", "doesnotexist"));
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ void test_core_env__1(void)
 	cl_git_pass(cl_setenv("HOME", "doesnotexist"));
 #endif
 
-	cl_assert(git_futils_find_global_file(&path, "nonexistentfile") == GIT_ENOTFOUND);
+	cl_must_fail(git_futils_find_global_file(&path, "nonexistentfile"));
 
 #ifdef GIT_WIN32
 	cl_git_pass(cl_setenv("USERPROFILE", NULL));
@@ -103,14 +103,12 @@ void test_core_env__1(void)
 	cl_git_pass(cl_setenv("HOME", NULL));
 #endif
 
-	cl_assert(git_futils_find_global_file(&path, "nonexistentfile") == -1);
-
-	cl_assert(git_futils_find_system_file(&path, "nonexistentfile") == GIT_ENOTFOUND);
+	cl_must_fail(git_futils_find_global_file(&path, "nonexistentfile"));
+	cl_must_fail(git_futils_find_system_file(&path, "nonexistentfile"));
 
 #ifdef GIT_WIN32
 	cl_git_pass(cl_setenv("PROGRAMFILES", NULL));
-
-	cl_assert(git_futils_find_system_file(&path, "nonexistentfile") == -1);
+	cl_must_fail(git_futils_find_system_file(&path, "nonexistentfile"));
 #endif
 
 	git_buf_free(&path);